Soil salinity regulates spatial-temporal heterogeneity of seed germination and seedbank persistence of an annual diaspore-trimorphic halophyte in northern China.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Seed heteromorphism is a plant strategy that an individual plant produces two or more distinct types of diaspores, which have diverse morphology, dispersal ability, ecological functions and different effects on plant life history traits. The aim of this study was to test the effects of seasonal soil salinity and burial depth on the dynamics of dormancy/germination and persistence/depletion of buried trimorphic diaspores of a desert annual halophyte Atriplex centralasiatica. METHODS: We investigated the effects of salinity and seasonal fluctuations of temperature on germination, recovery of germination and mortality of types A, B, C diaspores of A. centralasiatica in the laboratory and buried diaspores in situ at four soil salinities and three depths. Diaspores were collected monthly from the seedbank from December 2016 to November 2018, and the number of viable diaspores remaining (not depleted) and their germinability were determined. RESULTS: Non-dormant type A diaspores were depleted in the low salinity "window" in the first year. Dormant diaspore types B and C germinated to high percentages at 0.3 and 0.1 mol L-1 soil salinity, respectively. High salinity and shallow burial delayed depletion of diaspore types B and C. High salinity delayed depletion time of the three diaspore types and delayed dormancy release of types B and C diaspores from autumn to spring. Soil salinity modified the response of diaspores in the seedbank by delaying seed dormancy release in autum and winter and by providing a low-salt concentration window for germination of non-dormant diaspores in spring and early summer. CONCLUSIONS: Buried trimorphic diaspores of annual desert halophyte A. centralasiatica exhibited diverse dormancy/germination behavior in respond to seasonal soil salinity fluctuation. Prolonging persistence of the seedbank and delaying depletion of diaspores under salt stress in situ primarily is due to inhibition of dormancy-break. The differences in dormancy/germination and seed persistence in the soil seedbank may be a bet-hadging strategy adapted to stressful temporal and spatial heterogeneity, and allows A. centralasiatica to persist in the unpredictable cold desert enevironment.

Phytochemical Analysis, Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition, Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Atriplex halimus L. (Amaranthaceae Juss.).

Mediterranean saltbush Atriplex halimus L. (Amaranthaceae) from different bioclimatic arid zones (ten wild populations) were studied. Phenols contents, flavonoids, flavonols, tannins and anthocyanins were determined and then tested for their antioxidants, antidiabetic and anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities. Levels of total polyphenols including flavonoids and flavonols, tannins and anthocyanins were high and varied significantly among analyzed populations. Nine phenolic acids and four flavonoids were identified for the first time in the methanolic fraction and quantified by liquid high-performance chromatography system HPLC (DAD). All extracts showed a substantial antioxidant activity, as assessed by DPPH assay (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical) (IC50DPPH=147.3for population of Seliena), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP; IC50FRAP=3.2 for populations of Sousse and Kairouan), and Chelation Fer test (IC50FerCh=1.5 µg/mL for populations of El-hamma and Mednine). Atriplex halimus possessed a high inhibitory effect against α-amylase activity (up to 2.6 mg ACE/gE), a moderate activity for α-glucosidase (up to 91.0 mg ACE/gE) and AChE (up to 147.2 µg/mL) compared to standard. The analyzed populations were isolated and subdivided into three distinct groups, without any bioclimatic structuration. Enzymatic activities seem to be associated with the presence, in plant extracts, of other classes of compounds then phenols such as terpenes, sterols, saponins, coumarins and carotenoids.

Ameliorative effects of Atriplex crassifolia (C.A.Mey) on pain and inflammation through modulation of inflammatory biomarkers and GC-MS-based metabolite profiling.

Atriplex crassifolia (A. crassifolia) is a locally occurring member of Chenopodiaceae family that has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of joint pain and inflammation. The present study was focused to determine the analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential of the plant. n-hexane (ACNH) and methanol (ACM) extracts of A. crassifolia were evaluated for in vitro anti-inflammatory potential using protein denaturation inhibition assay. In vivo anti-inflammatory potential was determined by oral administration of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day of extracts against carrageenan and formalin-induced paw edema models. Inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-10, IL-1ß, NF-kB, IL-4, and IL-6 were estimated in blood samples of animals subjected to formalin model of inflammation. Analgesic activity was determined using acetic acid-induced writhing and tail flick assay model. Phytochemical profiling was done by GC-mass spectrophotometer. The results of in vitro anti-inflammatory activity revealed that both ACNH and ACM displayed eminent inhibition of protein denaturation in concentration-dependent manner. In acute in vivo carrageenan-induced paw edema model, both extracts reduced inflammation at 5th and 6th hour of study (p < 0.05). A. crassifolia extracts exhibited significant inhibition against formalin-induced inflammation with maximum effect at 1000 mg/kg. ACNH and ACM significantly augmented the inflammatory mediators (p < 0.05). Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and NF-kB were reduced, while those of IL-4 and IL-10 were upregulated. ACNH displayed maximum analgesic effect at 1000 mg/kg, while ACM showed potent activity at 500 and 1000 mg/kg. The extracts restored the CBC, TLC and CRP toward normal. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of compounds like n-hexadecanoic acid, Phytol, (9E,11E)-octadecadienoic acid, 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester, 1-hexacosene, vitamin E, campesterol, stigmasterol, gamma sitosterol in both extracts. These compounds have been reported to suppress inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. The current study concludes that A. crassifolia possesses significant anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory potential owing to the presence of phytochemicals.

Flavonoids are involved in salt tolerance through ROS scavenging in the halophyte Atriplex canescens.

KEY MESSAGE: The content of flavonoids could increase in A. canescens under saline conditions. Overexpression of AcCHI in transgenic A. thaliana promotes flavonoid biosynthesis, thereby functioning in the tolerance of transgenic plants to salt and osmotic stress by maintaining ROS homeostasis. Atriplex canescens is a halophytic forage shrub with excellent adaptation to saline environment. Our previous study showed that a large number of genes related to the biosynthesis of flavonoids in A. canescens were significantly up-regulated by NaCl treatments. However, it remains unclear whether flavonoids are involved in A. canescens response to salinity. In this study, we found that the accumulation of flavonoids significantly increased in either the leaves or roots of A. canescens seedling under 100 and 300 mM NaCl treatments. Correspondingly, AcCHS, AcCHI and AcF3H, which encode three key enzymes (chalcone synthases (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), respectively) of flavonoids biosynthesis, were significantly induced in the roots or leaves of A. canescens by 100 or 300 mM NaCl. Then, we generated the transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing AcCHI and found that transgenic plants accumulated more flavonoids through enhancing the pathway of flavonoids biosynthesis. Furthermore, overexpression of AcCHI conferred salt and osmotic stress tolerance in transgenic A. thaliana. Contrasted with wild-type A. thaliana, transgenic lines grew better with greater biomass, less H2O2 content as well as lower relative plasma permeability in either salt or osmotic stress conditions. In conclusion, our results indicate that flavonoids play an important role in A. canescens response to salt stress through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and the key enzyme gene AcCHI in flavonoids biosynthesis pathway of A. canescens has the potential to improve the stress tolerance of forages and crops.

Improved salt-tolerance of transgenic soybean by stable over-expression of AhBADH gene from Atriplex hortensis.

KEY MESSAGE: The salt-tolerance of transgenic soybean cleared for environmental release was improved by stable over-expression of AhBADH gene from Atriplex hortensis, which was demonstrated through molecular analysis and field experiments. An effective strategy for increasing the productivity of major crops under salt stress conditions is the development of transgenics that harbor genes responsible for salinity tolerance. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the osmoprotectant, glycine betaine (GB), and osmotic balance in plants, and several plants transformed with BADH gene have shown significant improvements in salt tolerance. However, very few field-tested transgenic cultivars have been reported, as most of the transgenic studies are limited to laboratory or green house experiments. In this study, we demonstrated through field experiments that AhBADH from Atriplex hortensis confers salt tolerance when transformed into soybean (Glycine max L.). AhBADH was successfully introduced into soybean by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. A total of 256 transgenic plants were obtained, out of which 47 lines showed significant enhancement of salt tolerance compared to non-transgenic control plants. Molecular analyses of the transgenic line TL2 and TL7 with the highest salt tolerance exhibited stable inheritance and expression of AhBADH in progenies with a single copy insertion. TL1, TL2 and TL7 exhibited stable enhanced salt tolerance and improved agronomic traits when subjected to 300mM NaCl treatment. Currently, the transgenic line TL2 and TL7 with stable enhanced salt tolerance, which have been cleared for environmental release, are under biosafety assessment. TL 2 and TL7 stably expressing AhBADH could then be applied in commercial breeding experiments to genetically improve salt tolerance in soybean.

Growth performance, nutrient utilization, rumen fermentation, blood biochemistry, and carcass traits of lambs fed Atriplex nummularia L. hay-based diet supplemented with yeast or bacterial direct- fed microbial.

Direct fed microbial may enhance the utilization of halophyte forages leading to improved animal growth and productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate Atriplex hay-based diet supplemented with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; SC) or bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus casei; BAC) on lamb growth performance, digestibility, rumen fermentation, and carcass characteristics. Fifteen Barki lambs (90 ± 7 days of age and 18.6 ± 0.41 kg SE body weight; BW) were randomly assigned to three treatments for 120 days as follows: Control (basal diet without supplementation), SC and BAC diets, the basal diet supplemented with SC or BAC at 2 g/head/day, respectively. All lambs had similar dry matter (DM) intake, while lambs fed SC or BAC dies had higher (P < 0.05) total gain and average daily gain than those fed the control diet. Supplementation of SC or BC increased (P < 0.05) the digestibility of DM, organic matter, and acid detergent fiber, tended to decrease (P < 0.05) the urine N excretion and enhanced the N balance compared to the control. Ruminal pH, acetate, total volatile fatty acids concentrations, and bacterial protein were increased (P < 0.05), while creatinine and urea concentrations were decreased (P < 0.05) by both additives. Compared to other diets, the BAC diet reduced (P < 0.05) triglycerides, total lipids, kidney fat, and eye muscle fat. In conclusion, both additives resulted in similar positive growth performance and feed utilization, while only the BAC additive had a beneficial advantage in reducing the fat content of the carcass.

Phytoremediation of dinitrophenol from wastewater by atriplex lentiformis: effect of salicylic acid.

Quail bush [Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S. Wats] plants were used in removing 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP) from wastewater in a hydroponic experiment. The hydroponic system contained three doses of DNP, i.e., 0, 10, and 20 mg L-1. Quail bush plants were sprayed with 0.1 mM salicylic acid (SA) to study its role in resisting DNP toxicity. DNP significantly (p < 0.05) reduced plant growth. Exposure of A. lentiformis plants to 20 mg L-1 of DNP reduced the total chlorophyl and relative water content by 39 and 24%, respectively. SA improved the antioxidant defense in terms of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities. SA alleviated DNP toxicity by enhancing the production of osmoprotectants, e.g.,proline, phenols, and carbohydrates. SA enhanced the removal efficiency of DNP and the highest removal efficiency (96%) was recorded in the plants sprayed with SA and grown on 10 mg L-1 of DNP. A. lentiformis is a halophytic plant that has good physiological characteristics to resist 2, 4-dinitrophenol toxicity in wastewaters and is qualified to purify water from these harmful compounds. Exogenous application of 0.1 mM SA increased the defense system in A. lentiformis against 2, 4-dinitrophenol toxicity and enhanced the removal efficiency.

2, 4-dinitrophenol inhibited the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments.Salicylic acid protects the vital bio-compounds in plant cells.Atriplex plants are able to remove (96%) of 2, 4-dinitrophenol from the wastewater.Atriplex plants have a strong antioxidant defense enable them to survive in wastewater.

Antihyaluronidase and Antioxidant Potential of Atriplex sagittata Borkh. in Relation to Phenolic Compounds and Triterpene Saponins.

The genus Atriplex provides species that are used as food and natural remedies. In this work, the levels of soluble phenolic acids (free and conjugated) and flavonoids in extracts from roots, stems, leaves and flowers of the unexplored Atriplex sagittata Borkh were investigated by LC-ESI-MS/MS, together with their antioxidant and antihyaluronidase activity. Phenolic acids were present in all parts of A. sagittata; and were most abundant in the leaves (225.24 µg/g dw.), whereas the highest content of flavonoids were found in the flowers (242.71 µg/g dw.). The most common phenolics were 4-hydroxybenzoic and salicylic acids, kaempferol-3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-rutinoside and the rare narcissoside, which was present in almost all morphotic parts. The stem extract had the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (611.86 mg/100 g dw.), whereas flower extract exerted the most potent antihyaluronidase effect (IC50 = 84.67 µg/mL; control-quercetin: IC50 = 514.28 µg/mL). Phytochemical analysis of the flower extract led to the isolation of two triterpene saponins that were shown to be strong hyaluronidase inhibitors (IC50 = 33.77 and 168.15 µg/mL; control-escin: IC50 = 307.38 µg/mL). This is the first report on the presence of phenolics and saponins in A. sagittata. The results suggest that both groups of metabolites may contribute to the overall activity of this plant species.

Phytostabilization of trace elements and 13C isotope composition of Atriplex atacamensis Phil. cultivated in mine tailings treated with organic amendments.

Mining generates large quantities of mineral processing wastes that are typically stored in mine tailings (MT) ponds. Long-term exposure of the surrounding areas to the material from the tailings ponds has been reported to have adverse effects on both human health and the environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of Atriplex atacamensis Phil. to phytostabilize metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) and sulfur (S) when grown directly on mine tailings with and without compost (C) and humic substance (HS). The stress status of A. atacamensis Phil. was also evaluated through the 13C isotopic composition of bulk leaves. A 120-day greenhouse experiment was conducted and three treatments were evaluated: (i) MT without any amendments (control), (ii) MT + C (dose: 89 ton ha-1), and (iii) MT + HS (0.72 ton ha-1). Mine tailings material exhibited low salinity, alkaline pH, high extractable S-SO4 concentrations, and low fertility; total Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations were within the reference range for mine tailings, but total Cu concentrations were high at 1860 ± 236 mg kg-1. The HS had higher pH, EC, CEC, and available concentrations of N, P, and K than compost, while S-SO4 concentrations were similar in both amendments. 13C NMR analysis showed that the HS contained more alkyl, aromatic, and phenolic groups, while the compost was dominated by O-alkyl and carboxyl groups. At the end of the experiment, the MT + C treatment achieved a significant decrease in Cu, Fe, and Mn concentrations in the roots and aboveground parts of A. atacamensis Phil. and an increase in Zn values in both tissues. Both amendments increased the sulfur content in the aboveground parts, while metal concentrations under the HS treatment proved similar to control. Furthermore, the δ13CV-PDB values obtained in this study indicate that the organic amendments did not cause additional physiological stress to the plants compared to the MT treatment. Overall, A. atacamensis Phil. was shown to have the ability to phytostabilize metals and sulfur, making it a potential candidate species for in situ evaluation of the phytostabilization process on mine tailings.

Anti-Epstein-Barr Viral Agents from the Medicinal Herb-Derived Fungus Alternaria alstroemeriae Km2286.

Chromatographic separation on the liquid-state fermented products produced by the fungal strain Alternaria alstroemeriae Km2286 isolated from the littoral medicinal herb Atriplex maximowicziana Makino resulted in the isolation of compounds 1-9. Structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis as four undescribed perylenequinones, altertromins A-D (1-4), along with altertoxin IV (5), altertoxin VIII (6), stemphyperylenol (7), tenuazonic acid (8), and allo-tenuazonic acid (9). Compounds 1-6 exhibited antiviral activities against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with EC50 values ranging from 0.17 ± 0.07 to 3.13 ± 0.31 µM and selectivity indices higher than 10. In an anti-neuroinflammatory assay, compounds 1-4, 6, and 7 showed inhibitory activity of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial BV-2 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.33 ± 0.04 to 4.08 ± 0.53 µM without significant cytotoxicity. This is the first report to describe perylenequinone-type compounds with potent anti-EBV and anti-neuroinflammatory activities.

Transcriptomic Analysis Provides Insight into the ROS Scavenging System and Regulatory Mechanisms in Atriplex canescens Response to Salinity.

Atriplex canescens is a representative halophyte with excellent tolerance to salt. Previous studies have revealed certain physiological mechanisms and detected functional genes associated with salt tolerance. However, knowledge on the ROS scavenging system and regulatory mechanisms in this species when adapting to salinity is limited. Therefore, this study further analyzed the transcriptional changes in genes related to the ROS scavenging system and important regulatory mechanisms in A. canescens under saline conditions using our previous RNA sequencing data. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly enriched in signal transduction- and reactive oxygen species-related biological processes, including "response to oxidative stress", "oxidoreductase activity", "protein kinase activity", "transcription factor activity", and "plant hormone signal transduction". Further analyses suggested that the transcription abundance of many genes involved in SOD, the AsA-GSH cycle, the GPX pathway, PrxR/Trx, and the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were obviously enhanced. These pathways are favorable for scavenging excessive ROS induced by salt and maintaining the integrity of the cell membrane. Meanwhile, many vital transcription factor genes (WRKY, MYB, ZF, HSF, DREB, and NAC) exhibited increased transcripts, which is conducive to dealing with saline conditions by regulating downstream salt-responsive genes. Furthermore, a larger number of genes encoding protein kinases (RLK, CDPK, MAPK, and CTR1) were significantly induced by saline conditions, which is beneficial to the reception/transduction of salt-related signals. This study describes the abundant genetic resources for enhancing the salt tolerance in salt-sensitive plants, especially in forages and crops.

Dry matter intake, digestibility, nitrogen utilization and fermentation characteristics of sheep fed Atriplex hay-based diet supplemented with discarded dates as a replacement for barley grain.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of substituting barley grain with discarded dates on intake and digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization and fermentation characteristics of sheep fed Atriplex hay-based diets. Four Barki sheep (50.9 ± 2.93 kg of body weight (BW)) fitted with rumen cannula were used in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design with 23-day periods. Four isonitrogenous (~140 g crude protein (CP)/kg of dry matter (DM)) experimental diets were formulated with Atriplex hay, and dietary sugar content was increased by replacing barley grain with discarded dates (the proportions of discarded dates in the diet were 0, 93, 187 and 280 g/kg DM). Nutrient intakes were not influenced by diet. Organic matter, CP and neutral detergent fibre digestibility increased (p < 0.05) linearly and DM digestibility tended to increase with increased dates inclusion. Ruminal pH and molar proportion of butyrate increased (p < 0.05) linearly with increasing levels of dates inclusion, whereas ruminal ammonia-N decreased (p < 0.05) linearly. Total volatile fatty acid concentration was unaffected. Microbial protein synthesis (MCP) increased linearly and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis tended to increase as discarded dates increased. Total N intake was not affected by diets whereas, urinary N, urea-N and total N execrations linearly decreased (p < 0.05) with higher amounts of dates in the diets. Blood urea-N tended to decrease with increasing levels of dates. It could be concluded that replacing 100% barley grain with discarded dates as a source of soluble carbohydrates can enhance the utilization of N in Atriplex hay-based diet and consequently improve digestibility and MCP.

Seasonal Assessment of some Potentially Toxic Elements with Possible Animal Health Risks in Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.

In the present investigation Br (Bromine), Cr (Chromium) and Pb (Lead) concentrations were assessed employing X-ray florescence spectrometry to evaluate seasonal variation of these elements in the xero-halophyte Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt., a shrub with high pastoral value. The results showed that A. canescens and its surrounding soil have similar accumulation patterns for Br and Pb across seasons, but Cr concentrations in shrubs are higher in spring than other seasons. The seasonal mean contents of trace elements in A. canescens descend in the following order: Cr (8.33 µg g- 1) > Br (5.34 µg g- 1) > Pb (0.24 µg g- 1). The maximum element transfer factor (ETF) of Cr and Pb was recorded in summer and autumn. However, no significant difference between seasons was found for Br. Principle component analysis (PCA) showed that Br, Cr and Pb were associated negatively with soil during all seasons. In contrast, A. canescens was only associated to Cr contents in the spring. Results provide evidence also that the levels of Br, Cr and Pb were within the safety-limits recommended by the National Research Council (NRC) guidelines for animal nutrition.

High-speed countercurrent chromatography for isolation and enrichment of betacyanins from fresh and dried leaves of Atriplex hortensis L. var. "Rubra".

Betacyanins and their decarboxylated derivatives from fresh and dried edible leaves of Atriplex hortensis L. var. "Rubra" were fractionated for the first time by high-speed countercurrent chromatography. Pigments present in fresh leaf extract were separated in systems: ethanol - acetonitrile - n-propanol - ammonium sulphate - water (0.5:0.5:0.5:1.2:1.0, v/v/v/v/v) (tail-to-head mode) and tert-butyl methyl ether - n-butanol - acetonitrile - water with 0.7% heptafluorobutyric acid (2:2:1:5, v/v/v/v) (head-to-tail mode). The mobile phase flow rate was 2 mL/min and the retention of the stationary phase was 79.8 and 75.2%, respectively. Pigments from dried leaves were separated in a similar ion-pair system with heptafluorobutyric acid in different volume proportions 1:3:1:5 (head-to-tail mode) and the flow rate of the mobile phase 3 mL/min. The stationary phase retention was 64.0%. The application of the countercurrent chromatography for the fractionation of betacyanins from leaves of Atriplex hortensis enabled to isolate and pre-concentrate the pigments for further low- and high-resolution liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric detection. This study revealed the presence of 10 betacyanins in fresh and 16 in dried leaves of Atriplex hortensis. Two compounds were not previously identified in the whole Amaranthaceae family. Additionally, instead of (iso)amaranthin, celosianin and its epimer were dominant betacyanins in the Atriplex hortensis.

Protoscolicidal activity of Atriplex halimus leaves extract against Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces.

Cystic echinococcosis, an endemic zoonosis in Algeria, is caused by the development of the helminth Echinococcus granulosus. Surgery remains the main treatment despite inducing relapse and several adverse reactions. In this context, natural scolicidal agents seem to be promising tools to overcome these reactions. In our study, we evaluated the phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity and scolicidal effect of Atriplex halimus. In this context, the aqueous extract from AH leaves (AHE) was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening by HPLC. The in vitro antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH test. The cytotoxicity of AHE was evaluated in murine peritoneal macrophages and cell viability was examined by MTT assay. Moreover, different concentrations of AHE (20, 40, 50, 60 and 100 mg/ml) were tested on E. granulosus protoscoleces (PSC) cultures, during different times of incubation (15, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min). The viability was evaluated by eosin exclusion test. The morphological and ultrastructural damages were evaluated by SEM. Our results indicate that total phenolic and flavonoids contents were 37.93 µg of Gallic acid equivalent per mg of extract (GAE/mg E) and 18.86 µg of Quercetin equivalent per mg (QE/mg E) respectively. Furthermore, AHE has an antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 0.95 mg/ml. Interestingly, the extracts did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect against murine peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, our study indicated a significant scolicidal activity time- and dose-dependent. At 60 and 100 mg/ml; and after 120 min of incubation; the mortality rate was 99.36 and 100%, respectively. The parasite's tegument is one of the plant's targets as demonstrated by SEM. Our findings show the benefits of Atriplex halimus extract as a new promising scolicidal tool in hydatid cyst treatment.

Mineral composition of Atriplex halimus plant as influenced by genotype and thermal regime.

Atriplex halimus grows in humid and saline warm regions of Mediterranean area showing high adaptability but less information is available on resistance to chilling temperatures.Potted plants of five clones (MAR1, GIO1, SAN3, PAL1, and FAN3) were cultivated during 30 months in four localities (Oristano, Tempio, Sassari, and Villasor). Every 6 months, leaves, stems and roots of plants were the object of mineral composition analysis (N, P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn). During the experiment, air temperature was recorded and hour degrees sums calculated for thresholds ranging from 0 °C to 35 °C.Leaves showed highest content of all elements, with the exception of iron.Plants showed ability to accumulate mineral elements in a synergic or antagonistic way. Accumulation of chilling hour degrees positively correlated with calcium in leaves and stems, and with manganese in the whole plant. Sodium in leaves, instead, was favored by high temperatures, which are unfavorable to nitrogen accumulation in roots. Magnesium accumulation in leaves and roots enhanced with moderately high temperatures. Two of the tested clones (GIO1 and SAN3) showed a relative low adaptability to the coldest conditions. The other three clones provided better performances with the best behavior of PAL1.

Intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and performance of crossbreed Boer goats fed with diets containing saltbush (Atriplex nummularia L.) and spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica).

Saltbush and spineless cactus are adapted to arid and semiarid regions and used as an important forage resource in ruminants' diet. However, spineless cactus restricts production due to its low crude protein and NDF levels and high salt and oxalate contents, which can limit the digestibility and intake of dietary nutrients. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the best ratio levels of saltbush associated with spineless cactus in diets for crossbreed Boer goats through ingestion, water balance, digestibility, nitrogen balance, growth and carcass weight. Twenty-four castrated crossbred Boer (Boer × Brazilian native) goats 6 months of age and average body weight of 20.28 kg were utilized. The animals were weighed and distributed in randomized blocks in four experimental diets with saltbush of 8.4, 18.8, 31.2 and 48.3%. The addition of saltbush hay promoted quadratic behaviour (P < 0.05) in intake of dry matter and nutrients. There was no effect (P < 0.05) from the addition of saltbush hay on the digestibility of organic matter, total carbohydrates, non-fibrous carbohydrates and neutral detergent fibre, whereas there was an increase in dry matter. The crude protein digestibility behaved quadratically (P = 0.06), where the maximum digestibility was obtained with the addition of 31.2% of hay. The balance and net nitrogen utilization presented a quadratic effect (P < 0.01). Saltbush in rations for goats presented promising results, the growth rate (0.15 kg/day) obtained in diet with a lower proportion of saltbush, would satisfy smallholders when considering that this species, associated with spineless cactus, may reduce the use of concentrate feeds; however, the diet with 31.2% of saltbush hay provided the biggest gain in body and carcass weight of the goats.

Comparing Kinetics of Xylem Ion Loading and Its Regulation in Halophytes and Glycophytes.

Although control of xylem ion loading is essential to confer salinity stress tolerance, specific details behind this process remain elusive. In this work, we compared the kinetics of xylem Na+ and K+ loading between two halophytes (Atriplex lentiformis and quinoa) and two glycophyte (pea and beans) species, to understand the mechanistic basis of the above process. Halophyte plants had high initial amounts of Na+ in the leaf, even when grown in the absence of the salt stress. This was matched by 7-fold higher xylem sap Na+ concentration compared with glycophyte plants. Upon salinity exposure, the xylem sap Na+ concentration increased rapidly but transiently in halophytes, while in glycophytes this increase was much delayed. Electrophysiological experiments using the microelectrode ion flux measuring technique showed that glycophyte plants tend to re-absorb Na+ back into the stele, thus reducing xylem Na+ load at the early stages of salinity exposure. The halophyte plants, however, were capable to release Na+ even in the presence of high Na+ concentrations in the xylem. The presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) [mimicking NaCl stress-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the root] caused a massive Na+ and Ca2+ uptake into the root stele, while triggering a substantial K+ efflux from the cytosol into apoplast in glycophyte but not halophytes species. The peak in H2O2 production was achieved faster in halophytes (30 min vs 4 h) and was attributed to the increased transcript levels of RbohE. Pharmacological data suggested that non-selective cation channels are unlikely to play a major role in ROS-mediated xylem Na+ loading.

Dynamics of the diaspore and germination stages of the life history of an annual diaspore-trimorphic species in a temperate salt desert.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Individuals of the annual halophyte Atriplex centralasiatica produce three kinds of diaspores that differ in dispersal, dormancy/germination response and type of seed bank formed, which likely is a bet-hedging strategy in the rainfall-unpredictable environment on the semi-arid, saline Ordos Plateau in Inner Mongolia, China. Seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions provide germination cues for the establishment of seedlings at the right time and place to ensure plant survival and population regeneration. Diaspore heteromorphism is a phenomenon in which diaspores with stark qualitative differences in morphology and ecology are produced by the same maternal plant. Germination responses and dispersal times of the annual halophyte Atriplex centralasiatica were examined to determine the role of diaspore heteromorphism in its adaptation to salt desert conditions. A. centralasiatica is a tumbleweed that produces three types of diaspores that differ in morphology and ecophysiology. The relative potential dispersal ability and intensity of dormancy of the three diaspore types was type A (fan-shaped diaspores with yellow fruits) < type B (fan-shaped diaspores with black fruits) < type C (globular diaspores with black fruits). In the field, type A retained high germinability, but all of them were depleted from the (transient) soil seedbank in the first growing season. Types B and C cycled between dormancy and nondormancy, and 0 and > 90.0% remained in the soil seedbank 2 years after dispersal, respectively. The dormancy, dispersal and salt tolerance of type B diaspores were intermediate between those of A and C. Type A exhibited low dispersal-nondormancy, type B exhibited intermediate dispersal-intermediate dormancy and type C exhibited high dispersal ability-high dormancy. In the unpredictable salt desert habitat, the functional differences in germination and dispersal of the three diaspores act as a bet-hedging mechanism and ensure population establishment in different years by spreading germination over time and space.

The impact of soil chloride concentration and salt type on the excretions of four recretohalophytes with different excretion mechanisms.

Four natives Canadian recretohalophytic species: Atriplex canescens, Armeria maritima, Spartina pectinata, and Distichlis spicata were examined to determine their relative uptake and excretion of chloride in the context of phytoremediation. Adult plants were grown in soils contaminated with either sodium chloride or potassium chloride at various concentrations, then manually washed to collect the excreted salts. Atriplex canescens which has salt bladders, was found to have negligible excretions, suggesting that these structures release minimal amounts of salt onto the leaf's surface. Chloride excretions of S. pectinata and D. spicata increased with higher soil chloride concentrations. A. maritima showed minimal excretion until a threshold soil salinity was reached. This species shifted from a reliance on internal sequestration to secretion at higher soil salinity. The salt used in the media did not impact these trends, but D. spicata excreted significantly more chloride under sodium chloride conditions. While all four species studied were able to translocate significant amount of salt to their shoots, only S. pectinata, D. spicata, and A. maritima are suitable candidates for remediation by haloconduction. Among these, A. maritima showed the greatest potential and significantly reduced the soil chloride concentration by up to 60% in the highest concentration treatment (4 mg/g).HIGHLIGHTSArmeria maritima, Spartina pectinata, and Distichlis spicata are suitable species for remediation via haloconduction.Armeria maritima had the highest total extraction capacity at high soil chloride.Spartina pectinata had the most consistent excretion capacity and is the most suitable for remediation of soils with lower soil chloride.